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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28726224">How It All Fell Apart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/avatarstories/pseuds/avatarstories'>avatarstories</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Azula (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Multi, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, POV Azula (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:48:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,211</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28726224</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/avatarstories/pseuds/avatarstories</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever thought about what happened between Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee in the time between The Day of Black Sun and The Boiling Rock? I do all the time, so I wrote it out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>How It All Fell Apart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The POV between the trio is going to change between the chapters.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>Azula was expecting it any minute now. An imperial guard in a blood red uniform would find her on the training ground, or in the library, or in her personal apartments, with an order from her father to report to the throne room. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She’s pulled from her thought by the thud of a blade into the tree. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Mai I think the tree might not want to pretend to be Zuko anymore,” Ty Lee says from a back bend. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Nonsense, it’s a tree,” Azula says her tone somewhere between a joke and a dismissal. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“And it’s not Zuko,” Mai mutters as she yanks her shuriken from the bark. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Azula’s interest is piqued. If not Zuko, then who? It could be her parents, but they were on their way back from Omashu. Azula had seen the anger that glared in Mai’s eyes despite how Mai attempted to hide it behind that expressionless countenance. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“If it’s not Zuko then who could it be?” Ty Lee asks as she comes down from her back bend to take a seat in the grass. She pauses for a second then gasps with a realization. “Not the Water Tribe boy!!” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Mai huffs and throws another set of blades at the tree trunk. They all land in a precise line. “Why the Water Tribe boy?” she asks incredulously. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I don’t know he’s kinda cute.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“You think everything is cute,” Azula quips. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Well it better than thinking everything is ugly,” she replies. Mai sighs. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Or you could not just be concerned with aesthetics as a top strategist should,” Azula states. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Strategist or opportunist?” Mai mutters as she pulls the second set of shuriken from the tree trunk. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Azula narrows her eyes, but before she can respond, she sees distinct red of the imperial guards. She swallows thickly. Mai glances over her shoulder to see what could have distracted Azula but then goes back to being expressionless. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I have to go,” Azula says quickly. “Wait here for me.” She straightens out her uniform and then locks her eyes with Ty Lee’s. “Do not leave until I am back, please.” Ty Lee nods and then Azula walks away hurriedly. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Did Azula just say please?” Ty Lee asks a hint of confusion in her voice. “She looked terrified.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“She’s in trouble,” Mai replies. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“What do you mean?” Ty Lee asks. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Mai glances around again. “She lied to the Fire Lord  about killing the avatar.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“What?” Ty Lee asks confused. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Mai kneels beside Ty Lee. She checks around again to make sure no one can hear her. “Azula lied to her father about killing the avatar. She told the Fire Lord that Zuko killed him in the catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se. But he didn’t. It was Azula. She shot him with lightning to the back.” Mai answers. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“How do you know? We weren’t down there. We were in the palace." </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Zuko told me. He couldn’t figure out why Azula would lie and not take the credit for herself. She’s not one to miss out on being praised.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“But why would she lie about that.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“If the avatar could have survived, and it was blamed on Zuko, she’d be safe in their father’s eyes. Zuko would get the blame and the punishment.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“What do you think is gonna happen?” Ty Lee asks, worry obvious in her voice. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I don’t know. And I’m not particularly sure if I want to be here to find out.” Mai finishes. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>——————————————— </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Get up,” Ozai snaps. “Get your forehead off the floor. You are in no position to rely on flattery and decorum.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Azula gulps. She sits up and keeps her eyes on the glossy floor in front of her. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I would not have expected this kind of treachery from you, Azula.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Father, I” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“DO NOT INTERRUPT ME!” He bellows, the fire wall around his throne.  </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“There is not a word in any tongue I know that could express the depths of my disappointment in you. When you told me that the avatar was dead, I had no reason to doubt you. How wrong I was. Instead I find out that the Avatar is still alive when he tries to storm my nation, my palace, and that your brother is going off to help him. You could have just killed them both in Ba Sing Se, Azula, why did you not?”</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Azula waits a moment before responding. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Answer me!” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I shot the Avatar with lightning. He fell to the earth like a rag doll. There was no reason to believe he could have survived such an attack.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“And your brother? Why bring him back a hero instead of like a prisoner as I instructed.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Azula had no answer. She did not even know why she herself tried to convince her brother to join her. She most likely would have been successful without him, though she would have lost to the water bender if he had not helped her. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div><p> </p>
<p></p><div><p>
      <em>“What was it like when I was gone?” Zuko asked one night while they sailed home. </em>
    </p></div><div><p>
      
    </p></div><div><p>
      <em>Azula waited a moment. “Some days I would think that I was the only person who noticed you were gone... well besides Mai.” </em>
    </p></div><div><p>
      
    </p></div><div><p>
      <em>“Wow, comforting,” Zuko deadpans. </em>
    </p></div><div><p>
      
    </p></div><div><p><em>“What else do you want me to say?” She replies annoyed. “It’s not like I missed you.</em> <em>”</em> </p></div></div><div>
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>Zuko sighed. “No I guess I was overly hopeful in thinking that anyone of you would have.” </em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>“There were some days when I wished I could talk to you,” she admitted. </em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>“Oh yea, like to show off how much better you got at bending than me?” </em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>“No,” she replied. “Because I think you would have understood. Or at least tried to.” </em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>“Understand what?” </em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>The loneliness, the fear, the pressure. “Nothing,” she lied. “Forget I said anything.” </em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>“No problem,” he muttered. </em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“His fire bending had improved. I thought he could serve as a solider.” She says quickly, trying to muster some conviction to make it believable. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“That was a poor exercise of judgement.” He scolds. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Azula waits. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Azula, do you know that your brother can redirect lightning?” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Azula looks up astonished. “That’s impossible.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Well he attacked me with such a skill before he left on the Day of Black Sun,” Ozai replies. “What else is your brother capable of, what else does he know, that he can now go teach the Avatar?” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Azula shakes her head, gaze falling back to the floor. “I do not know, Father.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Everything, Azula. You let your brother back into this palace as a hero. I let him sit at my right hand, talk to generals about strategy, train with the best soldiers the Fire Nation has to offer. Your brother knows everything, and now he can go teach it to the Avatar to use against us. You let in a spy, Azula.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Azula can feel the heat from the flames around the throne lick at her cheeks. Her father comes down from the throne to stand in front of her. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Here it comes she thinks to herself. She winces. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I will give you one more chance,” he says. “Fail me, and you will suffer a consequence more horrific than even you and your cruel imagination could ever envision. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Yes, father,” she replies nearly stumbling over the words. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Now get out of my sight.” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Azula did not hesitate. </p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Mai's POV next chapter get pumped.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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